In defense of himself, Antonio Pou Castro said that he had saved the life of Hamlet Hermann. Hermann was part of the Playa Caracoles expedition with Francisco Alberto Caamaño. The expedition that landed on a southwestern beach had the intention of relieving the country of the repression of the government of Joaquin Balaguer. He said Pou Castro tortured him when captured. Hermann commented to an El Siglo reporter that the Orlando Martinez hearings should lead to the uncovering of the intellectual authors of the crime, including Joaquin Balaguer who was President at the time. He said that Pou Castro was one of the most repressive military in the first 12 years of Balaguer administrations. He said Pou Castro would infiltrate himself among the members of the Communist Party (Pacoredo) and the Movimiento Popular Dominicano (MPD) to provoke murders on both sides and present the leftist members as murderous bandits. "Everything they did protected by impunity, everything: corruption and murder, because they knew Balaguer would not punish them, but look what has happened 25 years later and I am happy," he said. Hermann has achieved a good reputation for his successful efforts as first director of the Metropolitan Transport Authority.
